The present invention relates to a package for audio and/or visual recorded materials, preferably audio cassette tapes. The package is inexpensive to manufacture, highly aesthetic, functional and environmentally sound. The package is preferably made from coated card-stock material and is not much bigger than the cassette tape intended to be stored therein.
The package of the present invention can be utilized with current Norelco-type standard size audio cassette tapes, or, alternatively, it can be easily adapted for microcassette tapes, compact discs, mini discs, digital audio tapes or even video cassette tapes. Of course, if any other visual or sound recording format or embodiment becomes commercially significant, the package can be similarly adapted and configured for use, without departing from the present invention. For illustrative purposes, however, the present invention will be described with respect to a standard size audio cassette tape, i.e., the tape format currently manufactured by the N. V. Philips Company of the Netherlands under the Norelco trademark and tradename. Its size and dimensions, therefore, are specifically incorporated herein and believed well-known to those of skill in the art. The embodiment of the present invention in terms of size and dimension will basically correspond thereto. The term audio cassette shall include all formats identified above.
Basically, the present invention provides an outer protective carton or package for the cassette tape. This enables the tape to be stored for initial sale and in between actual uses. When the user desires to insert the cassette tape into a playback or tapedeck machine, the cassette tape can easily be removed from the package. After use, the tape is stored back in the package. In addition, the package includes a convenient and physically separate compartment for the selective inclusion, by the seller of the cassette tape, of a booklet containing liner notes or lyrics of the cassette tape or other printed materials.
In its preferred embodiment, the package is made from a paper-like card stock material which is more environmentally sound than the current plastic containers, sold as packages for cassette tapes. The present invention is preferably embodied in a package which is barely larger than the size of the audio cassette tape, and this also increases the aesthetic attractiveness of the container with respect to prior art point of purchase packages for cassette tapes which are, generally, far larger than the cassette tape.